The Miriam Hotel

Creating a brand identity for a historic boutique hotel

IDENTITY

The Problem: An Austin real estate developer purchased the former home of Ma Ferguson, Texas’s first female governor, in order to turn it into a boutique hotel. The client had no clear brand direction or identity but wanted the project to honor the legacy of Ma Ferguson.

What We Did: As we began the brand identity process, we knew we wanted to choose a name that captures the rich history of Texas. While conducting research, we worked with a local historian and visited relevant museums and historical sites, developing a handful of names rooted in the region’s heritage. Presented with our top suggestions, the client chose The Miriam, inspired by Ma Ferguson’s first name.

Ma Ferguson was famous for throwing lavish parties attended by many of her friends. With that in mind, we decided to create a visual language that communicates a strong aesthetic that married the extravagance of the Roaring Twenties with the ruggedness of the Wild West. We designed a primary mark, secondary marks, signage, coasters, business cards, and letterhead for notes, invoices, and formal communications. At the end of the brand identity process, the client had a fully-designed visual brand language, physical artifacts and collateral inspired by the culture of 1920s Texas, and a clear understanding of how to execute the brand across channels.